Letter: Ridiculous comparisons don’t bolster argument

Ridiculous comparisons don’t bolster argument

I am tired of reading or hearing people make comparisons such as “cars kill people - do you want to outlaw cars?” or “children die in swimming pools - should we outlaw swimming pools?” Neither cars nor pools were designed and intended to be used to kill. Automatic weapons, however, specifically were. There are a lot of points that can be legitimately debated, but this particular sort of comparison is disingenuous and deflective. A gun can be compared to other objects designed and intended to be used to kill. A poison, for example, could be used as a comparison or an IED. A pool? A car? Let’s stop being silly.